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The Househunter 6/11/15

black leather sofas, exposed brick

It’s Friday so it must be time for a good old nose around some of the best houses on the market this week. First up is this wonderful live/work space in a former art gallery in London. It’s on the market with The Modern House for £2,150,000 and is situated on the ground and lower ground floors.

black and white and concrete

And if it looks at all familiar that is because it has generated income as a location for film and photo shoots in recent years, appearing in The Honourable Woman, Silent Witness and Catastrophe.

 

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As it only has one bedroom it’s a sort of fantasy flat for a couple with no children who run a business from home. Imagine having meetings in this huge space and gazing out at the palm trees. I feel more creative already.

loft space themodernhouse

One bedrooms seems to be the theme of this week. There’s probably something deeply Freudian in that. Do we think I am craving some time alone a la Garbo? Maybe that’s just what’s for sale that caught my eye. Anyway, what do you think of this?

open plan living

Also on with The Modern House it’s a one bedroom warehouse conversion in the Royle building in London with an asking price of £895,000. It’s on the third floor of this former print works factory and overlooks Regent’s Canal.

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The owners are both architects and you can see how they have cleverly divided the space up with the use of screens, half walls and bookshelves. So there a study behind that wall of books and the bedroom is behind the wall next to the sofa at the far end of the room.

concrete ceiling, vintage rugs

But I think my favourite thing is the exposed concrete ceiling and pillars and the faded vintage rug. So often you see these modern conversions and it’s all tiles and hard surfaces. If you’re going to live in a space like this you need rugs and old furniture to soften it all off and give it character. The house above is a case in point, that sitting area badly needs a rug.

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Still rant over, it’s nice innit? I’d totally live it in it if it was just me and him.

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

2 Comments

  1. Morning Kate, That first house (former art gallery) is about the coldest bleakest looking place you have ever shown. I find it hard to believe anyone has lived there yet. It is now making me head off for a jumper…

    1. I think the first house would be a great live/work space for a therapist. I do love the Royle Buildings – there a few of these fab apts for sale and they are so convenient for the city too. One day….

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